May 2015 Newsletter
I am going on vacation in May, (I must see the grandkids!). I am unsure if there will be a June Newsletter at this time or not. I will however, forward you any new listings and/or deals. As I am sure you are aware , we have a great staff of both office personnel and very experienced Agents so you can ask anything or come to the island and look for your dream property and obtain our great service and guidance, before, during and after the sale.
Last month I sent out some cultural differences in from “here to there”.
“Here” are a couple more.
Cell phones. There are two companies here right now that supply service. TIGO & Claro. Both you can get a “line” where you have monthly billings or you can ‘Pay as you Go” if you prefer. Here is the different “here” from “there” part. Neither charges for incoming calls only outgoing. Both have “Bonus Days” if you are ‘Pay as You Go” where you get multiple times the dollar (Lempira) amount you re-charge your balance with.
Cost of Living-Refrigeration repair- I just had a refrigerator repaired. It ended up to be a fan that was squealing. The repairman came, with an assistant and spent over an hour tearing it down, lubricating the fan and putting it back together. My cost, $10.00 U.S. A friend and past client also had the same dual find that his unit was no longer cooling. The diagnosis was a leak in the refrigerant that needed to be sealed and refrigerant added. Three hours and $ 60.00 U.S. later and all went well.
Dental Care– Cleaning L700.00 (approx. $32.00 U.S.) – Dr. Hayman Grant, French Harbor. Islander with 14 years experience in the U.S.
Dr. Grant can do a variety of dental work including checkups, cleaning, root canals, caps and implants. Office -2480-5275
Energy on the Island- High energy costs are a fact of life on most islands throughout the Caribbean – and Roatan is no exception. But now there are viable alternatives. The Bay islands are blessed with an abundance of solar and wind resources that can be used to significantly reduce energy costs for homeowners and businesses alike. Vegas Electric has been providing energy solutions throughout the Bay Islands. Working in partnership with Roatan Renewable Energy, Vegas Electric, (established here in 1987), now offers an integrated suite of energy management strategies that enable their customers to control their energy costs as they move toward independence from the grid.
In order to identify the most cost-effective approach, they begin with an evaluation of historical usage (or projected usage for a new project) and follow with a detailed analysis of energy usage patterns including time-of-day and seasonal load profiles. They then integrate a combination of proven energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to provide a custom tailored energy management solution. To reduce energy usage, they offer high-efficiency solar pumping systems and water heaters in addition to solar PV (electric) and small wind generation systems to reduce dependence on energy from the grid.
Home owners who rent for income here on the island have especially found that the savings go right to the bottom line providing a nice boost to their return on investment. If this is something that interests you contact “Vegas”, (Charles George). 001-504-2445-1309, U.S. VOIP -813-774-4732 or visit vegaselectric.net or roatanrenewables.com
Rotary Police Stickers-Every year the Roatan Branch of “Rotary International” offers a helping hand to the local Police department on the island with their annual fundraiser effort. This is a poor country and there are times when the government just does not supply enough for some of the basic needs. Although Rotary steps in, in many ways, including scholarships, medical and some great service projects, it is time for their annual “Police Sticker’ sale to support local Law Enforcement. In order to make this easy and convenient for you we here at RE/MAX Bay Islands and RE/MAX Western Sunsets are now providing these stickers in our office for you to purchase. The next time you are in the area, please stop in and spend an extra five minutes, and pick one up.
“The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future.” –Eric Hoffer
Managing your financial future of course is always a challenge and I certainly am not a financial planner. What I do feel is that real estate, when purchased correctly, it is always a good investment. Why? It is not liquid. It does not allow for ‘panic selling’ and has outperformed the S & P in regard to percentage gain over the same time lines. For as long as you, your parents, grand parents and great grand parents, have been around , and then some, real estate is pretty much the best investment out there. Numbers do not lie. Since 1969 real estate has only gone down in three consecutive years, (the Real Estate bubble). The S & P went down eleven times.
“If you don’t own a home, buy one. If you own a home, buy another one. If you own two homes, buy a third. And, lend your relatives the money to buy a home.” -John Paulson, investor and multi-billionaire
Planning your warmth and comfort along with knowledge, enjoyment and most importantly life.
Discovery & Investment Tour 2016
Last year, I announced our Discovery & Investment Tour for 2015 in the fall of 2014. Although participants who attended the tour shared very positive feedback (scroll down to read testimonials), some people stated they would have liked to have more notice on the tour dates. So, this time around, I want to make certain to give everyone plenty of time to plan for our tour in 2016.
Tentative Dates for the 2016 Tour: February 22nd and/or February 29th (Canadian participants possibly February 23rd or March 1st based on direct flights arriving here on Mondays instead of Sat/Sun). If there are any Canadian tax experts out there, I would love to have you speak and advise.
There is a very limited quantity of spaces available. We do a concierge only tour. This tour is not for the masses.
Cost: The cost is $200 per person and $350 for a couple. The tour price includes three meals, the tour buses for two days, and a sunset sail cruise with cocktails. The tour is a cost or below cost situation for our company and is provided as a service to those customers who really wish all the information they can get, and not just from the local “real estate agent”. The cost of the tour is also completely refundable with a property purchase within six months of the tour.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Discovery and Investment Tour, it is an informational seminar held on predetermined week on the island of Roatan. (though if you are interested in Utila that also is part of what we do).
During this tour, I gather non-real estate industry professionals (U.S. accountant, U.S. tax specialist, Honduran attorney, Honduran tax specialist, a Honduran insurance expert, and a couple of long-term expat residents) to share their experiences about island life.
The tour begins in a conference room where each professional gives an overview of information in their respective field, allowing time for the participants to ask questions at the end of the presentation.
From that point, we spend the next two mornings on a bus touring the island and giving participants an overview of available real estate options.
Everyone has different real estate goals. Some people are looking for the perfect site to build a dream home. Others are looking for a vacation condo that not only pays for itself, but allows the buyer a place to spend quality time on the beach. Yet, some people are looking for a commercial venture or a big change in life. Despite varying goals, everyone who attends the Discovery & Investment Tour has one thing in common; they feel Roatan may be just the place for them.
Are you interested in what past participants said about the Discovery & Investment Tour? Get all your questions answered, (and even answers for things you would have never thought to ask about), by the very people who are the experts you need to talk to, (not just the “real estate guy”).
“I still love things that you don’t even need to pay for. Going to the beach and being around five of your friends and having a good time means so much more than going out and spending hundreds of dollars”. Maria Sharapova
Testimonials for Discovery Tour
My wife and I have been visiting islands throughout the world and doing as much research as possible to facilitate our dream to relocate our family to our dream house on the perfect island. We have been receiving Larry’s newsletters for several years with invaluable information about the island and relocating to Roatan. Through the MLS system, we have been tracking multiple homes of interest for the last year and a half. Although we have visited Roatan nearly ten times over the years, the actual task of relocating a family with young children was a daunting one. We had planned on visiting Roatan again this spring to start looking at homes, but after receiving a notice for the Discovery & Investment Tour in March, we decided to time our visit and attend the tour. This turned out to be one of the best decisions we have ever made.
The tour was extremely informative. We started with presentations from multiple accountants, attorneys, insurance agents and local businessmen. They were all extremely well prepared, offering information on subjects I had been researching as well as some I hadn’t even thought of. In addition, all of the presenters made themselves available throughout the week as well as for subsequent follow-up e-mails and phone conversations. The tour continued with exploring the island’s various regions. While we drove, Larry and his staff of agents stated advantages and disadvantages of each region, pointed out places of interest including grocery stores, local restaurants, home improvement and furniture stores and anything else you could think of. We looked at several typical properties in each region and certainly left the tour with a lot more knowledge than when we entered.
After the tour completed, Larry and his staff continued their excellent service showing us homes, driving us to appointments to visit local schools and offering great advice that lead to the purchase of our new home. Subsequent to the purchase, Larry and RE/MAX have continued to be amazing. We cannot recommend Larry and the Discovery & Investment tour enough. –Ron and Andi Mack, Illinois
Larry, I would like to thank you for putting together the Discovery and Investment Tour we recently attended in Roatan. Moving to and adopting an island lifestyle is not an easy thing to wrap your mind around. Having the guest speakers who understood the both the state-side and Honduran implications with moving to the island was really informative and relevant to concerns I wanted addressed. I will be using these contacts if I am successful at obtaining the right property on the island. Also, seeing the number of properties, the different types of properties and island locations was extremely helpful in making a sound decision on the property type I would like and the locations I would like to live on the island.
PS That sunset we saw on the sailboat was staged right! Very abstract and beautiful. I felt like the kid coming out the dentist full of Novocain saying, “Is this real life?” –Dave Corcoran, Arizona
On a recent trip to the island of Roatan, I was privileged to participate in a three day, all-inclusive seminar about real estate on the island, which was planned and organized by the broker and owner of RE/MAX, Larry Schlesser. It was to say at the very least eye opening!
For openers, experts in every possible area, concerning real estate ownership and island living, (schools, medical, cost of living, etc.) such as taxes both U.S and Honduran, island insurance, and a U.S expat and local business man made presentations and took on questions from potential buyers. From there on and for the next two days, we were privileged to tour the island and some of the most attractive properties on Roatan. These properties ranged from extremely expensive to moderate for both sales and rentals in all kinds of locations.
On the evening of the final day, a sunset cruise was offered. In this informal atmosphere assurances were given to all who required further visitations and/or questions.
To anyone who might read this testimonial in the future, please do not miss a chance to participate! It is a winner if you are attracted to Roatan and what it offers. –Arthur Griffin, Crown Point Indiana
Now for some real estate ………………..
The below links are what I personally feel are some of the best deals
on the island right now in each of the below categories. These selections
are not just RE/MAX Bay islands or RE/MAX Western Sunsets available properties , but are properties that are new listings, excellent value listings or listings that are just plain great deals.
Luxury Homes – http://link.flexmls.com/155xluglcl26,2
Beach Homes – These homes are a wide price range and represent some that the homes may need some TLC and the value is in the property/land/location while others are turnkey beauties that can be 100% OFF THE GRID. http://link.flexmls.com/15627u845ag5,2
Waterfront Home sites- These site are great options at a wide price range for buying/building/land banking for future use or appreciation.
http://link.flexmls.com/155xlv0vk2m1,2
Non but Near the Waterfront Home sites – all price ranges http://link.flexmls.com/155xly3obys1,2
Condos – Get a feel for what is here on the island at various price ranges. These selections are what I consider a good representation of both the Hotel Condo and the Residential Condos on the island.
http://link.flexmls.com/155xlyncd1pe,2
We have a variety of both listed and properties we are aware of for those who are looking for Development and possible commercial locations. Just write me and we can communicate about it. Here is one of the best offerings I have see for years for someone that wishes to do a small development, a condo project, subdividing or a grand estate.
https://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing/listing-395-heron-lake/#
Three other last minute property options-
This first one is a beautiful property and the Seller is very motivated-
https://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing/listing-359-2-48-acres–hilltop/
This is a nice home site in the beautiful planned community of Parrot Tree Plantation –
https://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing/listing-308-lot—133-/
The last, a large home site with panoramic views-
https://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing/listing-289-0-84-acres–panoramic-views/
Some helpful links for your viewing and information
Finding yourself using your phone or IPad more now? Here is the mobile version of the MLS. Bookmark it as a Favorite and always have us handy- http://mymobile.flexmls.com/BayIslandsRealEstate
Are you wondering about Roatan or Utila in general.
Go to this link and read about it, download an island map and watch a cool video.
Are you thinking of buying or moving here? Read this link for FAQ –
Are you curious about investing or have questions about Residency, (not citizenship) and living here, maybe making it your home?
Life does not happen, it is planned.
“It’s what you learn after you know it all, that counts” –Harry Truman
Check this out!
Trip Advisor -Here are the world’s top 10 islands for 2015:
1. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
2. Maui, Hawaii
3. Roatan, Honduras
4. Santorini, Greece
5. Ko Tao, Thailand
6. Madeira, Portugal
7. Bali, Indonesia
8. Mauritius, Africa
9. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
10. Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Islands-cTop-g1
Thanks for reading folks and I hope we have been helpful in you search for the perfect place for you to live, play and invest.
Here is the newest article posted on “International Living Magazine” that I though may interest you.
http://internationalliving.com/2015/05/just-another-day-in-paradise-in-roatan-honduras/
That is it for now folks. Thanks for reading and remember…… when you work with us here at RE/MAX Bay Islands or RE/MAX Western Sunsets. We are the only company in this country that has the Forever Guarantee with which we are there for you before, during and after, as your new neighbor. Not familiar, ask us for a copy and I will send it to you.
Best to all,
Larry
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